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[gotnowings]

I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I don't shave my legs and I always get rude comments about it. It's really annoying and usually I just blow it off and forget it, but lately it has been bugging me a lot. Why do people care so much? It's really sad.

Comments

[dorkwithglasses]

yeah, my leg hair is actually a subject of self conflict for me.

DOWN WITH THE PATRIARCHY.

[kwpdb8]

x2 on the self-conflict

especially since my dermatologist suggested i NOT shave my legs because my skin is so sensitive...and then i do it anyway because i feel COMPELLED.

[meow]

ditto.

[str8_is_gr8]

I get a lot of comments too, and I used to get angry. But now I just remind myself that I know I am freeing myself from the patriarchy while the people making the comments are still tools. If someone is honestly interested to know why I made the choice to stop shaving, I enlighten them, but if not, I don't care much. It angers me sometimes, but only anger towards the patriarchy and beauty standards and whatnot. It makes me sad to know so many young girls (and teenage girls and middle aged women and older women, etc etc) keep themselves busy trying to conform to beauty standards and care more about looking pretty than their rights. That's (one of) the way(s) the system keeps us down. But usually I can shrug it off because not shaving has its benefits. It tends to get all the ladies.

[pressed_flowers]

...keep themselves busy trying to conform to beauty standards and care more about looking pretty than their rights. That's not a 100% true. While I'll admitt I started saving in middle school because of being made fun of, my reasons for saving are different now. I shave when the hair lenght gets annoying to me, sometimes it's a week other times it's two months later. I care greatly about my rights I just also happen to care about for what my body feels and looks like for me.

I know feminists who shave and feminists who don't and one isn't more feiminist than the other.

[smileydee]

Well, there's a difference between people who know they have the option to not shave, and know it is a perfectly valid thing to choose not to do and yet choose it anyway, and the poor girls who think that shaving is necessary, healthy*, hygenic*, and required to be a woman.

*when I say healthy, and hygenic, I mean that many of these girls think that not shaving is unhealthy and unhygenic. Sad, but true.

[english_peach]

Yes. When I was in my early teens I honestly thought that if you didn't shave you sweat more. I even put it in a health and social exam paper! I was so naive! I have no idea why I thought that

[absofrickinlute]

They cant believe you arent embarrassed - it's like no one told you thats what girls do!
Don't you read cosmo? Arent you aware of all your shaving/waxing/electrolysis options? A girl has options! She should use her options and enjoy them when doing exactly as people expect her to do.

=P

I just tell people I do it to keep my legs warm in winter and I'm thinking about braiding it with some beads when it gets a little longer - I'm good at the dead pan face thing so it shuts them up pretty quickly. =)

[nerdpony]

I use the first option, but definitely not the second...

I might appropriate that one.

[absofrickinlute]

*L*

well - it'll give the shocked folk something to report over dinner thats for sure.

[gotnowings]

haha i am going to use that one for sure

P.S. It was sort of relevant and I use any excuse to plug Alix Olson.

[str8_is_gr8]

Armpit Hair (Mammally Factual) - Alix Olson

Re: P.S. It was sort of relevant and I use any excuse to plug Alix Olson.

[aslanscountry]

Funniest. Things. Ever.

Re: P.S. It was sort of relevant and I use any excuse to plug Alix Olson.

[aslanscountry]

Or, rather, thing. Because I can't type.

Re: P.S. It was sort of relevant and I use any excuse to plug Alix Olson.

[rubycat]

Hah! Yay Alix Olson! And not sort of, but quite appropriate methinks...

[morgan_dhu]

I've never shaved any body hair, and I've never had anyone make any negative comments about it either. Maybe it's just because I've always been an obvious hippie, people just expect it of me...

But I am curious - who is making these kinds of comments? Family, friends, lovers, random people on the street... ?

[dorkwithglasses]

the worst was when it was from my boyfriend, even if he was joking.

we're arent together any more.

[gotnowings]

I sail and it's the guys I sail with mostly.

[belladonnalin]

I get it a lot from strangers, actually. People staring at me on public transit and stuff. But actually it's brought up the most often when I'm at protests - it seems to be the Bushies' favorite response: "Yeah, well ... BUY A RAZOR, FREAK."

It cuts to the bone, that response.